The Education of Ariadne Dikaianhttp://zyanya.wikidot.com/forum/t-119053/the-education-of-ariadne-dikaian
Posts in the discussion thread "The Education of Ariadne Dikaian" - A collection of parchment scrolls, divided into four simple wooden containers, are written primarily in Igerna.Sun, 07 Jun 2020 05:58:22 +0000http://zyanya.wikidot.com/forum/t-119053#post-372938The First Week: Settling Inhttp://zyanya.wikidot.com/forum/t-119053/the-education-of-ariadne-dikaian#post-372938
Mon, 02 Feb 2009 05:27:19 +0000Scylfing247653
Praise to the Owl of Wisdom, may her ever-watchful gaze be upon us in our time of need.

It has been a week since Kalla, my students and I arrived at Aben’s manor, and already I know that this was the right decision. That isn’t to say there haven’t been problems—Oh Goddess has there been problems—but this place, this mission these people here are on is a crux far greater than mere training of a few young men and women. I can feel its weight in my bones, my Celestial blood cries out in indignation against every atrocity I have been told of committed by these cults. I believe this is the true reason Athena led me to this island.

To that end, I’ve used what little time I have had in between all my other duties to go over every bit of information they have given me (I have a feeling there’s something I’m missing) and I think I see why Shieldmeet itself is important to this. There are at least two sorts of ritualistic murders being committed here—revenge killings targeted at a certain Lord or Lords (this is something they already know, the Lord who sponsored them did so for a reason, and his rival seems to figure deeply in this), and the other seemingly random people. Yet each one of these was targeted specifically at something particular about them, to mock and destroy something that made them special, and each of these ironic murders has been of a different ethnic stock or a male and a female of the same nationality. Where else but Shieldmeet would this be possible?

Unfortunately I’m currently at a loss for how best to apply this theory, especially since both Aben and the leaders of the guild have already left the island on missions of their own. I’m not sure how wise it is to divide our resources across the known world, but they have their own reasons and if the excursion to Vasant (I cannot believe they are going there with a half-fiend, servant of a goddess of purity or no) will yield an ally that can help deal with Dima’s situation, then it may be worth the trouble.

Dima, now there is an interesting problem—that was the young man who had fought a powerful cult leader nearly to his death only to be mysteriously healed at the manor, oh and now he’s a powerful sorcerer with no memory of the past year. I’m told this was all the work of a ghost who had possessed him. (And this isn’t even the only ghost we’re dealing with here!) I asked Kalla to look into this but his powers are beyond her, so before he left Aben said he’d arrange for a diviner to come to the house soon. For now I’ve asked Dima’s friend Maksim, a rather intense youth who has the makings for a serious warrior someday, to look after him and report to me if his magic starts going out of control or he misuses it. Maksim’s a fine young man, though his friend Leonti the stable-hand is another story—he is extremely over-anxious for fighting, which is the exactly wrong attitude to have. I had to embarrass him by knocking him face-first into the dirt a few times, but I think it made him even more eager to prove himself so I told him he wouldn’t be trained until he can satisfactorily tell me why he should fight.

Most of the others are fine—Byrun and Jinan have been helpful to me in getting to know the place and the people better, I can tell the former was relieved to have someone else take up the defense planning, and the latter, well he’s a hopeless flirt but he’s at least decent about it and I think he just wants to be loved. I already have a great deal of respect for Sunan and Virote, virtually every member of their culture I’ve met has impressed me and I must visit Tatsuo someday to see just what it is that makes them so courteous and yet so driven and serious. Jilik is incredible, truly the gnomes must be favored by Athena to have crafted such remarkable beings as these Warforged, though alas he and Flint departed before I could learn much more about them but there will be another time. I haven’t gotten to know the girls very well either, but I wish to have some more time with Katja, she has the loveliest natural singing voice I’ve heard in ages (and made me think what might have been had I stayed on my mother’s path—despite all I’ve gained since coming into my heritage, what did I lose?) Her songs of Sclavini have so much raw emotion, I wonder if they don’t have a trace of the Dionysian in them.

Phrixus though, [here a phrase is blotted out]. What is it with Ertheurtha that makes its citizens such dogs when they’re away from their homeland? I’ve been there, I know that they’re a disciplined if terse race, but get them out from under the yoke of their laws and they revert to barbarism! I’d ask Kalla to humiliate him like she did with Marchus to bring him in line, but I’m wary of what he’d do to her and he’d maybe even give me a bloody nose before I’d bring him to his knees. I’ve long since grown accustomed to the manners of men, it’s all a part of life (even if it’s still a few years until I’m permitted to engage in that life), but he’s been way out of line and my barbs haven’t phased him so I will have to punish him soon. I’ll try not to permanently damage him.

But I’ve wasted enough thought on that as it is. Although most of my energy has gone to improving the situation here I had hoped to be of assistance to those searching for the missing boy. He seems to be important to these cults because of his unnatural power, but it has been hard to get away from here, I’ve barely even had time for the temple, let alone all the other places and people who’ve been part of my life on the island. Once things have settled into routine—and if my plan works as intended—I want to look into this matter again soon.

We’re going to reopen the tavern to the public next week, so in preparation for the big day I’ve had Frithik trim any branches that extend over the outer walls, reinforce the storeroom and cistern down below and install lamps along the pathway from the gate and at each door. I’ve given instructions for where the non-combatants are to go in case of emergency (if any assassin tries to pursue them into the nursery they’ll be in for a serious shock) and I’ve established the guard shifts:

Every hour each person in the group is to check in with the next person up the line (or at the back of the line) and relieve them of their post, rotating from the house to the grounds to the gate, and each group is on for eight hours. I had wanted to have Jilik and Rayner for Group 3, I’m concerned it may be too green, but they’re not around so I suspect I’ll be at my most active during the third watch.

I pray that it’s enough.

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http://zyanya.wikidot.com/forum/t-119053#post-353031The First Day: An Unexpected Movehttp://zyanya.wikidot.com/forum/t-119053/the-education-of-ariadne-dikaian#post-353031
Sun, 11 Jan 2009 02:30:29 +0000Scylfing247653
Praise to the Armed Goddess, may she grant us wisdom in these chaotic times.

Athena is continually finding new ways to test her servant. Yesterday I was met by a wealthy Basiran named Aben Hamar who has a villa here in Shieldmeet that he said was in need of protection. I am still not entirely sure why he chose to come to us—Kalla, bless her heart, was suspicious as usual—but I sensed no underhanded intent from him, so I agreed to meet with him again today at his manor house to gauge the situation and negotiate a deal. My students have needs of their own after all, and guard duty is something all warriors must undertake at some point.

Let me first say that his home, where I am writing this evening and where it appears we will be for the near future, is impressive. A two-story gated mansion in the upper Basira Quarter, with expansive grounds, large stables and enough rooms and provisions to supply a company—I gently probed the lord of the house for how he finances his estate, but all I know thus far is he’s a scholar of note—is what I am tasked to protect. But protect from what? A strange encounter in the middle of our negotiations only just began to answer that question, but it also gave me the opportunity to explore the property under pressing circumstances.

One of Aben’s seemingly many enemies is an (allegedly) corrupt Amarethi council member in Shieldmeet named Adamo, one of whose captains, Hiram Aceline, had marched three dozen soldiers up to the manor's gate demanding his son be released. Thank Pallas that the situation did not degenerate into violence or lawlessness, although that fate very nearly could have turned against us as one guardsman was unfortunately assassinated by a coward’s arrow from across the street. Neither Aben nor his associates (an eclectic lot, I’m not sure what to make of them yet but I hope we will all be able to work well together) knew who was “helping” them by doing that, but it was most unappreciated.

We agreed that I and a merchant, who happened by at that time, being independent observers would accompany a pair of guards on a thorough search of the property, which ultimately showed no signs of the young man Hiram described, much to his consternation as he left swearing he would return with Adamo to bring us to justice. Clearly the man was not in right possession of his faculties, but that’s understandable where family matters are concerned. After he departed I learned that Hiram’s son Jerath had been a guest of his own free will at Aben’s home with a woman named Aletha, but from what little I could gather from a note he left behind the two apparently ran off together, much to the concern of everyone at the estate. With that revelation I consider the matter with Hiram settled.

Far more unsettling, however, was the revelation that this group is deeply involved in the investigation of the ritualistic murders committed by a vile death cult that has plagued Shieldmeet for some time. Furthermore I am told that these murders are part of a deeper conspiracy involving a wicked sorceress, the aforementioned corrupt Amarethi councilor and some manner of ancient evil that threatens the very safety of the world! I am grateful that the Goddess has set these responsibilities before my charges and I, and I pray that we all have the wisdom and prudence to know how best to proceed and the strength and courage to see it through, for I can see it will take everything at our disposal.

Logistics seem to be taken care of with our arrangements in the house, and tactics have a way of sorting themselves out. Tomorrow I intend to take all my students around the compound with Aben so we can learn the fastest routes, the location of windows and barriers, any hidden areas and things of that sort, setting up all armaments and of course starting a guard routine. My greatest concerns though are strategic in nature, of organizing and prioritizing—I am still learning what all the threats, complications and objectives are, but more than that for us to rank them in order of immediacy, importance and danger. Then, and perhaps this is the biggest challenge, is for everyone to come to agreement with that ordering and finally to follow through with it one thing at a time.

But for the moment I must deal with 16 young (yes Cornelius, even you are young at heart!) and sometimes hotheaded armed men and women cramming themselves into tight quarters. They’re good people, I adore each and every one of them, but they still need discipline. I’m convinced this will be a good experience for them, our arrangements before were just too disparate and individualized so hopefully this will provide the cohesiveness they need. Thank Promachos that Kalla is here to keep order and handle the many little battles; I don’t know what I would do without her.

Goddess watch over us.

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http://zyanya.wikidot.com/forum/t-119053#post-353027The Education of Ariadne Dikaianhttp://zyanya.wikidot.com/forum/t-119053/the-education-of-ariadne-dikaian#post-353027
Sun, 11 Jan 2009 02:18:24 +0000Scylfing247653These scrolls, written mostly in Igerna (except the prayers and some songs, which are in Celestial), contain Ariadne’s journal dating back to her initiation into the priesthood of Athena, her collection of prayers, hymns, lyrical and epic poems, her ledger for the Academy, and annotated diagrams of troop deployments, formations, combat maneuvers and counters. They are organized by date, title and subject matter and are written in large print by a measured, thoughtful hand.
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